Your Turn
by YellowDuckyUmbrella
Summary: "That's my cousin!" he proclaimed loudly. "Down there! See him?" She gave him a strange stare. Kuroko's cousin was the opposite of him in almost every way; tall, popular, athletic, noticeable. Kuroko was proud of Tetsuna. Now it was Tetsuna's turn to be proud of him.


Kuroko was used to being forgotten.

His parents were almost always away, traveling all around the country on frequent business trips, and every time, they recruited his older cousin to watch over him.

His name was Tetsuna.

Tetsuna was tall, cheerful, and _ noticeable. _He got frequent calls from friends, passerby paused to talk to him in the streets, and girls just fell over with delight at his smile. He was the opposite of Kuroko in every single way.

_But, somehow, his cousin was his first friend._

.0.

The first night, Tetsuna frantically ran through the park, looking for his invisible relative. He had almost given up, but then he saw a familiar shock of powder blue hair.

Kuroko was sitting on a park bench, watching some older kids play basketball. He himself had an orange ball, and his overlong bangs covered his eyes. His small toddler hands clutched a worn, faded-orange basketball.

Kuroko felt a hand on top of his head, and he looked up, surprised. Tetsuna smiled down at him gently.

"Do you like basketball, Tetsuya-kun?" The young boy nodded slowly. His head was ducked, and his face was hidden behind his hair.

Tetsuna felt a pang of sorrow. How limited had his cousin's social interactions been that he had turned out like this?

"Come on." Kuroko looked up, surprise in his bright blue eyes. His older cousin was extending a hand towards him. "I'll teach you how to play." Tetsuna grinned. "Just you watch, your old cousin Tetsuna's a pro." He thrust his fist into the air enthusiastically. "Teiko Junior High School, runner-up for last year's national championships!" He winked. "This year though, we're going to win."

"Don't worry, when I graduate, you can have your turn."

_It was faint, but Tetsuna could have sworn that he saw a smile flicker across Kuroko's toddler face._

.0.

About eight years later, Tetsuna found himself in Tokyo, back home for Christmas. He had already dropped by to visit his parents, and had gone out to purchase tickets for the Winter Cup finals. Out of habit, he bought two; one for him, and one for Kuroko.

_Ah.._ _Tetsuya's not watching with me, eh?_ _Well, it's only one ticket._

.0.

He hadn't expected to see him _playing._ Tetsuna was in total shock when he saw his younger cousin on the court.  
Gone was the shy, timid toddler he had once known.

He had grown older, taller, but in many ways, Kuroko was the same.

Pale, blank-faced, and armed with a piercing bright blue gaze.

With every amazing pass he watched his cousin make, Tetsuna got up and cheered as loudly as he could.

_Everyone around him gave him withering looks, but Tetsuna could have cared less._

.0.

In the final quarter, there were fifteen seconds left. The score was tied, and Seirin and Rakuzan were staring each other down.

This was no longer a battle of skill, but of concentration, and maybe just a little bit of luck.

The arena was dead silent, and the pressure in the air increased. Tetsuna's heart plummeted.

Then he stood up and shouted as loudly as his lungs would allow.

"Go Seirin!" Suddenly, hundreds of eyes were on him, but Tetsuna ignored them. Instead of being embarrassed, Tetsuna shouted even louder. "Seirin!"

He kept chanting the one word, and his voice cut through the heavy silence in the arena.

Eventually, his side of the arena joined in, and their cheers appeared to renew Seirin's fighting spirit.

_He roared with laughter, and pointed down at the court. "That's my cousin!" he proclaimed to the baffled girl sitting next to him._

.0.

Kuroko had automatically looked towards the general area from where the loud shout had come. Then he spotted his cousin, and Seirin saw the look of surprise cross his face.

"Do you know him, Kuroko?" Kagami's gaze had followed his partner's.

For once, Kuroko smiled.

"Yes."

_Win, Tetsuna's eyes were saying. _

_I will, promised Kuroko._

.0.

And he did. Seirin created a large circle, tossing their two freshmen in the air.

Kuroko glanced back at his cousin in the stands.

_We did it,_ Kuroko's eyes said. _We're number one._

Tetsuna smiled.

_I told you, it's your turn. _

THE END


End file.
